With new riches come new woes: As developing economies and their populations become wealthier, they are also becoming more overweight.

Considered to be a health issue of grave concern in countries such as Thailand, China, Indonesia and Malaysia, obesity presents a staggering obstacle to societal health. The dangers are well recited: increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney damage, widespread reductions in economic productivity and elevating health costs.

A new study published in April, however, has identified a certain protein that could be pivotal in the search for an exercise pill, and usher in a new range of pharmaceuticals tackling weight issues.

Asia’s rising obesity rates

Obesity rates are increasing across Asia. Between 2010 and 2014, both Malaysia and Indonesia saw a 33% increase in obese persons, while Thailand increased by 27%. In a 29-year-long study on rural Shandong of China, it found a 17-fold increase in obesity for boys and 11-fold increase for girls.

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The obvious solution is exercise. But science is taking that to the next level. What if there was a pill that could do the exercise for you?

How would an “exercise pill” work?

According to the study presented at the American Physiological Societys annual meeting in late April, the key lies in controlling the production of a protein called myostatin.

Myostatin holds the function of inhibiting muscle growth: the more myostatin you have, the harder it is to gain muscle. Unsurprisingly, then, studies have shown that obese persons produce more myostatin than their leaner peers. But, what the study in the spotlight found was that by suppressing myostatin production in mice, not only did muscle mass dramatically increase, but also resulted in significant improvements in heart and kidney health markers.